There are only 14 more weeks of 2026, which frankly fells like an attack. But at least Spooky Season, my favourite season, is coming next.
I was looking over some ideas for themed posts and content, and I’m having trouble choosing.
On paper, we read Ilona Andrews books and we’ve got witches and covens, giant grandma skeletons, the God of Darkness and his ritual priests, necromancers with giant eels, decapitated heads in sacks, jorogumos and a thousand and one monsters, vampirifications and giant flowers that feed on people.
And yet…very few of the scenes actually register as legitimately *spooky* to me.
House Andrews somehow manages to make most of those elements heartwarming. Who doesn’t love Evdokia and her “I have a herb for that!”? George spending himself on his necromancy is touchingly bittersweet. We all chuckled at the Undead Rainbow, and the Skittles vampires knitting soft baby socks. The Horde’s special relationship with Cherny is well documented, and we think his volhv is a snaccck (yay, we’re evil enough!).
Just in case this is a me problem and I’ve consumed too much horror and creepy stuff to feel the tingles anymore, I’m coming to my favourite Horde for opinions.
Which scene, creature, location or moment in the Ilona Andrews books gave you the strongest Halloween feeling? That deliciously creeping, eerie, something-is-wrong-and-I-do-not-want-to-turn-around feeling?
And if you’re new to House Andrews, no encyclopedic knowledge required – tell me what has given you the shivers so far!
All series are fair game, I want your creepiest nominations.
First?
👻First!
Second – never bin so close. Have a great day
Been 🙈
I know second isn’t a thing… but I’ve never been in sneezing distance from first before so this feels like an achievement.
And I feel like HA tends to uncreepify the creepy which is one of the things I love about them!
Or I guess third once I finished typing so slowly 😂. Still feeling the residual glow!
The corrupted innkeepers!
Absolutely the corrupted innkeepers!
Absolutely! No humor, no chance of redemption, total unknown. Walking Death.
True, very high creep factor!
Yes!
The first- and second- thing that came to mind was Unicorn Lane. Every time something happens.
My favourite is “Here kitty, kitty, kitty”.
Same!
I think one of the creepiest things I have read is the creature in the pit and its creativity.
In the Edge series the mother has been turned into a plant. Also any thing involving water dangers! I hope everyone is well and looking forward to Autumn. I ended up mailing a box off for last Saturday’s baby shower with a quilt, changing pad, burp rags, bibs, crocheted hat and bootie set, swaddling /nursing cover, pink sacque, and white gown with bonnet! Good thing I make stuff ahead for when my cousins need it. I mailed it priority mail with signiture required and it got there in time! Happy Autumn!
I second Spider and the fusion of Genevieve with the plant, if we’re talking creepiness. That for me is an element of true horror, well beyond anyone who accepted modifications with consent.
However, Halloween for me means a cozy, theatrical kind of creepy. The Edge series is more cinematic and more visceral in its impact.
Yes, the plant thing was REALLY creepy!
+1
the plant modification of Geneivieve and how disgusting the Hand’s agents were… nothing cosy about that.
I find it hard to read those scenes and yet that book and the last was my favourite of the Edge series
I think for me, the first KD book (Magic Bites?) is the spookiest. We have our first foray into Unicorn Lane, a gruesome murder mystery, and scenes of body horror.
Happy spooky season to The Horde!
+1
Before I officially devoured all of their writing this book creeped me out the most. The upir in general was very creepy but even our first glimpse at the vampires were scary. Granted the first time I read this book was in middle school so it could also be because of my age but I still think it’s one of the creepiest books they have written.
+1 yes to this. Also it has a dragon skeleton come to life which is both creepy and wow moment.
+1
+1!
+1 The upir and his son- it’s a dark, gruesome book, but you can’t skip it because so many things begin there that continue through the series.
The Edge series and the first KD book are the darkest and creepiest to me.
The Box in The Edge series was pretty horrifying. being moderately claustrophobic and then add the pain and bio-magic aspects and that was a big yikes for me.
I think all the murdery descriptions in every series are graphically well-done, and creep me the heck out.
oh, and the interdimensional critters in the Hidden Legacy world. imagine being a mundane person wandering through your neighborhood, heading for a coffee and a scaled monster with rows of giant teeth just leaps out of nowhere because a couple of Houses are having a snit-fit??
Honestly Moderator R
I read house Andrew’s book to avoid all the horrors of the everyday news, the tragedies on the job and the worry about what happens to my almost-contrymen and women in Greenland (beeing danish) I really really don’t need more scary.
I have probably misunderstood halloween and the cozy scary being to old to have had Halloween celebrations as a child
Wish you luck in your endeavors and thank you for your p***ence with the horde
Hugs!
Kate Book 9 Chapter 6/7. Mrs. Boudreaux – the lady who ate children and had an house full of bones. Definitely creepy.
“Her legs turned within their sockets with a vomit-inducing crunch, until her knees stuck straight up, like the legs of a spider. Her neck lengthened, thickening, the skin dripping down to form a pouch on her throat. Her white hair fell loose around her giant head, her wrinkled breasts sagged to the forest floor, and a thin strip of gray fur sprouted on her spine. Yellowed claws curved from her fingers and toes. She was the size of a bus. “Hungry!” She screeched, clicking sharp conical teeth. “I’m hungry!””
Oh yes, the cannibal hill hag!
Ditto Cannibal Hill Hag. Shudder.
Second the corrupted inkeepers.
I feel like the contestant brought by the meat-eating tree al (sp?) bought was also cre, ultimatum-giving trees was pretty creepy. Mostly because of how much humans can be messed up by their upbringing and the contrast between pretty privilege and blood thirst. Discuss. 😀
I listened to that over the weekend and hearing the description is makes it much more real and creepy. Deputy Holland sounds a lot more determined to quit, too.
And her mouth unhinging as wide as it did?
The first book of the Wilmington Years (Kate Daniels).
The monster that ate kids in the ghost ship. The description of the deformed belly and then barfing the kid’s hand to eat it again CREEPED me out.
Also, in the last Innkeeper book. The fight with the bad guy in the Corrupted /Dying Inn of her parents. That whole scene gave me the Creeps as well.
The fight in the corrupted inn is so spooky and devastatingly sad! and I think it was also in that book where Dina went to visit the creepy spider lady who sees the future? She was also super spooky.
Definitely the corrupted inn and inn keepers!
For me “Only Forever” and “Rusalochka” were the spookiest by far. They are the perfect level of spook for me since I sone love the creepy crawlies but I do love to theme read for each season.
Only Forever https://ilona-andrews.com/only-forever/
and Rusalochka https://ilona-andrews.com/rusalochka/
In case anyone missed these two free fiction stories from the Free Fiction page https://ilona-andrews.com/free-fiction/ 🙂
One Americana-flavoured horror and the other very Eastern rite! Good mentions!
Very creepy!!! Reading them once was enough! But the corrupted innkeeper is horrifying in a way I can actually read it and not just go…nope..nope.. not reading that again. I’m glad.
Both of these are new to me! What great way to start the week, thanks!
oooh, only forever is super creepy!
That time Kate had to feed deer blood to the Viking ghost!
The draugr is a great reference!
Yes!!!!
The evil in the woods in Magic Claims was SO CREEPY the first time I read it. Low-key felt like a horror novel.
About any scene inside Mishmar!!
ooh the monsters in Maud’s book that prey on kids. Being a mom those were the creepiest to me.
I second the pit creature with hi romantic overtures to Catalina. Yikes!
Not creepy, but fun Halloween ish would be the baba yaga house and Kate learning she’s related to the witches and a bit more about her mom.
The sea demons who ate at Julie’s biological mother while Julie watched while on the cross.
Another one was Cornelius sang the rats to Rynda’s mother and all that was left were her bones in Wildfire.
Both of those remind me of horror stories of the past (like Steven King with Cornelius’ revenge).
One other could be Unicorn Lane where you never know what it might spit out at Atlanta.
**Cue the scary music**
Mod R, I’m surprised you haven’t broken out in the “Monster Mash” song yet. It’s a graveyard smash. 😉😎
Werewolves of London. My brother does the whole house and yard lights synchronized to music. First year he didn’t have Werewolves of London. Don’t know how he missed it. (He did have Monster Mash.)
He added Werewolves of London the following year thanks to my nagging.
I have to say the Edge series has the most creepy scenes out of all the IA books for me. The magically modified Hand agents were a gross fest. *shudders*
I agree! I especially feel Bayou Moon has lots of creepy moments…!
The scene in Magic Bites when Kate Curran and Nick go to fight Bono because even Kate didn’t want to go in there and I’m sorry but if it scared Kate then I’m out!
Huge oversized bugs will creep me out every time. Like in The Inheritance. Anything that skittles past just at the edge of your vision. I can’t recall what the bugs were called, but yeah, dark tunnels, skittling sounds, and I’m out 😅
For me, the scariest thing from IA books has to be Sunshine Realty, but that probably isn’t what you are looking for.
beyond that, probably Mishmar. That has to be the ultimate haunted house.
corrupted innkeeper description (Innkeeper) and the thing in the pit (Catalina books)
As I listened today to it, Kates Fight with the Wendigo in the Glass Menagerie, the flight and Hugh slaughtering the Order afterwards, and Kate has to watch. Creeeeepy.
and yes, the Draugr is next in Creepy.
I find their various monsters pretty horrifying but not ‘spooky’ in the sense that I’m afraid to read more–with one exception: The corrupted ad hal. Those seriously creeped me out.
Nevada interrogating the mercenary after the attack on the warehouse, and realizing that everyone is thinking of her as the monster.
There have been some good ones mentioned so far, but I’ll add that the scene in This Kingdom (spoiler warning!) where Maggie is tortured and then has to kill the serial killer…and then when she goes to the cemetery to confirm he’s dead. All pretty disturbing/creepy.
A lot of This Kingdom creeped me out…much more than all the other HA’s. The Game of Thrones-like bits….i had to stop reading GOT around book 6 or 7 for that reason!
I think if there’s any spooky scenes they’d be in the Roman ‘Christmas’ book, Sanctuary.
The first thing that came to mind was the beginning of the “Here Kitty, Kitty” scene. The vibes that come off of it at first are goosebumpy!
These are all great!
A more recent spooky/creepy one, for me, is in TKWNKM when Maggie goes to the Tangle and starts the incantation –it’s hair-raising everytime. I’ll just leave it at that so as not to spoil.
Kate’s journey into the dark forest to help out Thanos and ultimately negotiate with “Cherny” was pretty creepy to me. She of course handled the situation as best should could but the set up was eerie!
I only read it once then couldn’t again — Jim and Dali’s second short story, the one with the nightmares. The thing that sits on your chest while you sleep, UGH I CAN’T! Pity because I did find the ending satisfying — Jim’s worst fear is him turning loup, Dali helps him defeat it, and they finally get together. Unfortunately the association with that particular story just gives me the creeps so no re-read *shudder*
The AI construct in the pit feels very timely right now. The scene where it starts to create version of Shadow is horrifying.
+1!
The Mukama are creepy for sure. The Dushegub. The weird creatures Adaline meets and has to kill…
In Magic Bites, the scene in Chapter 8 at Kate’s cabin when the upir left the dead woman’s head (and the followup with the upir and the bone ward in Chapter 9) was probably the most intensely creepy “horror” scene for me across all the books and series.
From the scenes mentioned here so far the corrupted ad hal takes first place. After that it’s probably the sentient construct in the pit.
I usually avoid horror at all cost and tend to go for cozy spooky.
However, the most horrifying thing that comes to mind from the IA worlds to me is the “boiled people to get their bones” storyline from Kate Daniels.
The scene where the darkness is creeping out of the containment box and no one senses it. Dina knows but is powerless to tell anyone because she is trapped in her isolation and despair.
I think Red Point (the inmates being swallowed alive by the walls) and the upir (his whole deal but also the scenes he left Kate and his kids)… creeps me out
For me, it’s the evil queen in Magic Claims. She secretly infects the townspeople and starts demanding human sacrifice. What was done to the rhino was worse than Frankenstein, and her treatment of her priests and minions was horrifying.
For me, I had a moment of “oh no, no thank you get me out of there! and Kate too!” When Kate fell into the water cave with our Miniature Hobbit Man 🙂 and had to hold her breathe to escape.
Being under water without a clear view of topside – and AIR is a fear/phobia of mine. I kept thinking, swim faster Kate!
Iron and Magic when Elara faces the skudakumooch in the tunnels below the keep. Not sure which was spookier, her magic or the creature’s, but she was spooky enough to scare Bale!
1+ the whole atmosphere plus the description of the monster gave me goosebumps- creepiest scene for me so far.
Hands down the people jelly in kd 10. I still can’t listen to descriptions of the “leftover” lakes after the dragon army extracted the bones. Ughhhhh
+1
Pretty much all of Bayou Moon from The Edge. The setting creeps me out because I have a problem with dark, muddy water that ANYTHING can lurk in. The body mods of some of the Hand agents were disturbing. Genieveves forced fusion with a giant, meat eating flower was awful. And what happened with grandpa Vernard and his medical box was just ick. And let’s not forget the whole Sophie/Lark thing with the slavers and the hole in the ground.
The creepy animated dragon and other corpses in Magic Bites always creeps me out.
Definitely the zombie Viking that really thought Kate was a snack in the literal sense. The buildup to it was particularly good, I feel. With the deer blood and what have you.
Inside Mishmar was the creepiest part. But I was horrified when Kate and Gastek were dying in the waterlogged pit/place they were transported to.
The unnamed temple in This Kingdom. Spooky as Hell.
The temple of the hands. Agreed, very spooky.
Curran stalking Kate. Heck, even she was scared.
Patricia’s reply above re “Monster Mash” made me think of something that I’ve been meaning to bring to the Horde’s attention for a while now, but just haven’t hit the right moment… until now. If you’re a fan of acapella music, you may have heard of the singer Geoff Castellucci. He is the bass of the vocal group VoicePlay and he has his own channel as well. One of his early offerings was “Monster Mash,” done in full costume with staging. It is fantastic! Just search his name and that title on YouTube and it should come right up. He also does narrations, of which his take on Sleepy Hollow is not to be missed. The reason I wanted to mention him to the BDH is because of that lovely bass-y, smooth voice of his. It could work for any number of characters in the Andrews-verse, but in my head that is Roman’s voice. I will die on this hill (figuratively!)
I think all the Mavr descriptions from Blood Heir, and the castle description from King of Fire. The final book in the Edge series when Charlotte is going nuts and almost becomes the plague and almost kills Spider.
The genetic modifications done in Bayou Moon still give me the heebie jeebies
The only writing that has really gotten to me was Only Forever, the short they wrote for a horror magazine that didn’t get picked up. That thing still gives me the creeps!
So many wonderful, creepy scenes from the Author Overlords! It’s hard to pick one. The Edge has so many…the box, the fusion, the water serpent. I’m flashing on the snake people in the shop that were after Andrea (and got her) in Gunmetal Magic. Also, Bea’s dead husband and the woman who ate the magic apples. Shudder. More, please!
I would say the end of Sweep of the Heart when you know who has Wilmos!
The stalker attach in Dina’s subdivision. Being chased into your home by a creature you never seen before and who wants to kill and eat you. Definitely scary.
The Inheritance has some hair raising moments.
Nav.
The Edge with all of Spiders minions and their activities.
I relish it so much, the Edge hits all my high-points.
Ok, I don’t think I got ANY true shivery moments from HA — until the moment when Maggie was rescuing Isabeau and the evil hands were opening the door to the temple.
I really hope that will be developed further.
The corpse animation when Catalina and Runa were in the morgue.
Nevada and Rogan trapped and freezing.
That one short story in the angel of darkness anthology. creepy
Do you mean Alphas: Origins, Zealith?
(https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016JPTGN6)
While Augustine can bring any nightmare to life, Kate and her family work with blood. I know it was more urban dystopia, but it is rather nightmarish
When Beast opens her mouth and there are extra teeth?!? What type of Shih Tzu is she? Really, I need an origin story 🥺
Oh yeah, that old lady who ate children and sucked the marrow out of bird bones (in Kate Daniels’ series) was very ick.
Halloween is my favorite holiday for many reasons (decorating, fall weather, dressing up, jump starting the holiday season, etc)!
+1
Reading through the comments, there are so many creepy things, but I agree that none of them hit me with the Halloween creepy factor… that being said, the scene just before they head out to the midnight games when Jim and crew find out that Curran is coming and then Kate sits and waits for him. The suspense!!
He’s coming!
I was super creeped out by the Abyss in the Pit of Houston (Sapphire Flames) and by the Rakshasas evil fortress in Unicorn Lane, if that’s any help?
The creepiest scene for me was from Magic Triumphs. When Kate was looking at that initial scene in the first chapter and realized all that disgusting, creepy goo was the remnants of people/creatures being boiled alive—that was seriously creepy and brutally horrifying to read.
Happy Thanksgiving and Spooky Season everyone!!
+1
Well, there is Michael, sidekick to the Keeper of Records. Although I’m not totally clear if the magic used to punish Victoria was just Michael’s magic or was a blend of the Keeper & Michael in concert. But that magic can turn a human to dust & since Victoria was screaming in pain when she was being punished we know it hurts. Then there was Benedict – a ‘crime against nature’ as per Alessandro whose magic looked like ‘a nest of serpents’. The psionic terror wielded by the Ravenscrofts, Catalina’s harpy scream effect upon Alessandro’s nasty grandfather – lots of potential creepy:)
Basically anything corrupted.
Innkeepers, Ad-hals, inns… especially the latter. (Trying to stay spoiler-free).
Definitely the ‘blob thingy’ in the river, after Maggie resurrected the first time – that was scary af! (TKWNKM)
Definitely Magic Binds where Kate is helping out Beau Beaufort and she investigates the old lady’s house filled with bones. It’s super creepy and kind of gave me Inuyasha demon vibes: large ambulatory creatures with long limbs that devour people but just creepy
I have to say Magic Gifts is a favorite when I’m in an eerie mood. The killer necklace is such a creepy start, but the draugr really gets me. Even Kate knew she had to run instead of fight.
The Fae Queen. The way she was taking control of people in order to consume them in Magic Claims. That creeped me out.
The corrupted Inn/keepers, which a number of people already agree on.
The water undead that attacked Kate at her apartment.
And though it was an excerpt from one of the Hugh books, that March to do “something” to Elara as a flashback.
There are 48 books in the Andrewsverse, so picking one scene out of all that is pretty much impossible. For me, the 3 hardest scenes to read were:
1. When the Upir and his children murder Curran’s former lover over the phone while Myong freaks out in the background.
2. When Hugh murders the knights of the Atlanta Order and then tortures (heals) Ascanio while Kate is locked in a cage.
3. When Maggie is captured by The Butcher.
The magnolia inn reveal in the innkeeper books
OK, this might be the recency theory thing at play, but I’m re-reading TKWNKM. I’m torn between the whole Maggie and the butcher scene (I will NOT read that at night, which is why it’s paused for me until tomorrow and I’ve switched to Hugh), and the dragon monster flying things that took Maggie at the end.
At the risk of embarrassing myself, I’ll try spelling it. Dursand? Duhrsand? Look, all my books are audio!! I don’t look these things up.
Anyway, I’m a big scaredy cat, so it doesn’t take much to spook me. I thought I heard a child crying in the playground outside my apartment a few nights ago and seriously considered for a minute there packing up and moving back to my home country, cuz nope!! Absolutely not! I will not, shall not, cannot!!
Definitely the flower that consumes the human in the edge series.
Strongest Halloween moment?
In Clue format:
The Otrokar shaman, in the back yard, with the Dead.
And once more, holding hands.
Spooky vibes?
Roman feeding his pets.
Scariest monster?
The corrupted ad-hal 🙂
The Undead Shaman Elara fights in Iron and Magic. Yuck! all that undead
I’m a fantasy guy, not a horror guy, so while I put forward the scene with Kate vs the immortal Viking skeleton (both versions) as my favorite spooky scene, it’s perfectly ok with me if the monster is more afraid of Kate than vice-versa.
None of House Andrews’ works to date have given me any if these feelings. If they had I would not be a member of the horde.I do not read horror these days. I did read Stephen King when I was young. I did not enjoy the nightmares and eventually saw the light. My country does not have a strong halloween traditiom. Some idiots probably interested in revenue streams have been encouraging it in recent years. It seems stupid to me that you would spend 364 days a year teaching your children not to accept food or drink from strangers and not to beg, especially not with menaces and then let them go out at night and trick or treat.I am not saying that you should change. You obviously enjoy it. It is your tradition. It is not mine.We have a colonial tradition of Guy Fawkes night with fireworks but no one that I know of has ever done “A Penny for the Guy”. Mostpeople do no make or burn a “Guy”There has been talk of banning “Guy Fawkes”because of the fire danger and spooked pets and encouraging Halloween but why exchange one dangerous thing for another. There will still be idiots who take it too far and wreck it for everybody. I am “Not at Home” on Halloween.I prefer the day after which is “All Saints Day.”
The people soup.
From the free short stories:
Rusalochka
It’s Only Forever (more horror than spooky but gives me chills)
Magic Stars